Power of Change

Every single time we have hope in humanity, something always tests us.
The abuse of prisoners in the US. The hostage situation in Sydney. And now, the children who were killed in Peshawar.
132 of them. 9 staff. 
These were the children of the future. The children that with the education that they had, would have changed the world that we lived in, making it better. They would have been doctors, teachers, lawyers, business owners. 
It was the reason they got up in the morning. And now, they can't.
That's what the they were afraid of. Of what these children could do. Of the power that they had. The potential that they had.
Let's make sure that these children didn't die in vain. That we can make the world a better place. For the future. So that children can go to school without worrying about being shot or bombed. That they can be successful business owners, doctors, teachers, lawyers. That they do have the power.
The power of change.

Learning Respect

Rape in India has been a large issue in the last two years after a girl died after being gang-raped in 2012. Once again, it surfaced on the news when a woman was raped by her Uber driver in Delhi. There have been countless pleas from women all over asking for the Justice System to work and make sure that the people who have raped others be given a sentence that they deserve. We talk about becoming a society that will grow exponentially. That will make leaps and bounds in the next couple of years, but how are we supposed to do that when people don't feel safe?  I don't mean just women by the way. Men get raped too.  If we can't stop objectifying people, how are we supposed to grow as a nation? Can the person who committed this crime not realise that this person is a relative of someone else? What would happen if someone raped your family member? Imagine this: She walks down the street. It's 10pm and she's on her way to meet her friends for drinks. She's wearing a jeans and a top, nothing too fancy because she wanted to be home soon. The bar was close by, so she decided to walk instead of taking a taxi.
As she walks, a man starts walking behind her and follows her. She notices him and starts walking faster, hoping she can make it to the bar in time. 
She doesn't.
He grabs her and puts his hand across her mouth as he drags her behind the building. She struggles as much as she can and tries to scream. Yet it doesn't work.
He forces her on the floor and starts to lift up her shirt so that he can fondle her. Then he starts unbuttoning her jeans. He's too heavy for her to push him off her. He pulls down her jeans and she goes limp, too stunned to say anything. While he's inside her, he says that if she tells anyone, then he'll hurt her family. 
When he's done, he zips his pants and walks away.
She, is lying on the floor, unable to move because of how painful it is.
This is not a scene that you want to picture, and yet it happens more frequently than we think. Imagine if this happened to your family member. Your sister, mother, daughter. On top of that, reporting this and knowing that nothing is being done. Makes your blood boil, doesn't it? So then how can these men do this to our women.  We spend a lot of time worshiping Goddesses and saying that since cows provide us with milk, we shall not harm them and let them roam freely on the streets and yet to someone who has mothered us and given us life, we decide to defile them? In rural India, a lot of people think that men are worth more. That they will be able to plow fields, build houses, etc. But please ask me this, who gave birth to them? Who fed them, taught them and helped them grow? Women. And yet, these are the women that get treated the worst. We as a nation, no, we as a planet should all strive for one thing. Safety. We should have roads, bars, houses, cars that are all safe to use at different hours of the day. Men and women should feel safe whether they walk along the roads at 3pm or 3am. Men and women should know that they are ever violated, in any way, then something will be done. Men and women should know that their children will be ok if they take public transport by themselves.  It all begins with respect. Respect one another. Respect the old man that walks down the street. Respect the police officer that is trying to help you. Respect the small girl that is eating her ice cream. Teach your children to respect everyone. That everyone should be equals. No one should be looked down upon or looked up to like Gods. No one should be objectified. No one should be hurt. Only then, will everyone be safe.

Day 12: Modern Family

Modern Family. 

A mix of everything possible and sometimes making my family look sane.

Day 11: Sassy Sisters & Spinach Teeth

This little one is back from Uni! And with the stories that I've seen and she's told me, I want her to go back so that I can hear more. But I'm glad she's back, she's the younger version of what I am now; sassy and sarcastic and I love it.  

I'm a foodie. I think it runs in my genes. If you've met my family (esp my dad), then you know what I'm talking about. But no matter what happens, sometimes the simplest recipes can make the yummiest food. Plus, it's somewhat healthy, even though it does get stuck in my teeth.
Spinach and Feta Pizza from Cafe O

Day 10: Little Divas & New Beginnings

Kids can be annoying. Especially on planes. However, once in a while, they can be cute. And I swear this little diva puts a smile on my face.

This was her birthday wish to me, and I swear I just wanted to squish her
Anddddd, a special special congratulations to my bubby Sarika for her new jobbbbb! It's such a huge step to move to another city and do this, so I only want to wish you all the luck in the world my love! I know that when the new year rolls in, in a new place and a new job, only better things can happen. Maybe even a new boy ;)
Your place better be filled with wine and champagne and chocolate!

Day 9: Burritos and Breakfast at Tiffany's

I know it's not as cold in Hong Kong as it is in the States or the UK, but I can't deal with the cold. 
Which is why, I am ever so grateful that I can wrap myself up in a blanket burrito and build pillow forts to keep myself warm. 

Oh, and a companion doesn't hurt either ;) (Don't mind the zombie-ness that is me)

And a little bit of Breakfast at Tiffany's

Day 8: Homemade Sundays

I read a LOT. Well, I used to, and I'll get lost in the books I read. I need to catch up on my reading, and since I've been alone at home, I've had time to catch up on a couple of books.  A cup of coffee and good book is THE perfect way to start off my Sunday morning. 

There's nothing more comforting than home-cooked food. And better still, if you've made it by yourself. I SUCK at making Indian food. There are too many spices for my head to comprehend, which is why I usually stick to western food (my go-to dish is Risotto). The only Indian thing I can make is Chai. Oh! And Maggi. So today, I felt quite victorious when I made 3-dal Dal Takda (instructions were given via my parentals in India). And, it was yummy. 

Day 7: Long distance lovin'

To live in this generation means that the world is smaller. We have gone lightyears ahead from letters to using video chat like Skype.
Catching up with this lil cutie after such a long time is such a stress relief! Seeing people's faces over Skype is basically one step down from seeing a person face-to-face. Face-to-screen is good enough for me right now ;)
I'm glad that other than just talking to her on the phone, I can see her reaction and goofy face to everything I've said and I can't wait to squish herrrrrr. 

Day 1-6: Being Tested and Loved

As soon as I wrote my last post about being more positive, it's like the entire universe was out there to test me. The day after I decided that I would look at the silver lining of everything, my grandfather passed away. 
No one ever prepares you about what it's like to lose a loved one. No matter how much you think you've prepared, seeing the body in front of you and your whole family crying is too much to handle. 
However, I stuck to what I said. I looked on the good side. 
In the past week, I have been overwhelmed with the amount of love I have received from family and friends. Their outpouring of support has been nothing but amazing. People have been calling left, right and center to make sure that we're ok, offering food, laundry and even a bed to sleep on.
And my family? I couldn't have asked for anything better. Instead of grieving as people normally would, we decided to look back at the great memories we had. How all of us cousins at one point grew up in their house. How he would tell us the stories of the Mahabharat. How he made sure that in our family (mainly dominated by women), none of us ever felt inferior.
And the feasts he had? They were unimaginable. This would only occur when we went to visit them. He would call our entire family, which meant all my aunts, uncles and cousins and order food for all of us. All the talking, laughing and eating; that's what I remember him as.

He was a big man with an even bigger heart and I know that he's looking down upon us, smiling that we chose to remember him in this way.

We love you Bapai.