khoofia,
longshot - was the video in gujarati and was it Falguni Pathak? ( NoteL I have no clue about the gay thing - I'm guessing based on the short hair!!)

Yay!
So glad to know that there are other people who did not like the book! I read the book quite some time ago and it left me absolutely COLD. There was not ONE redeemable character in the book.
Manish: You are far braver than I .I cannot imagine sitting through a movie based on this story.

Every time Dinesh D opens his mouth some idiocy spouts from it . As for kicking the ladder, this is the same guy who believes that all family based immigration should be stopped. Bah!

I deeply mourn the fact that he is a Bandra boy :-(

I think we desis will have to give up trying to reclaim the swastika because in the west it is too tied in with WWII and the Holocaust atrocities. When I moved into a new home here in the USA and asked for instructions from the des on how to do a suitable gruhapravesh( housewarming ceremony)- the first instruction was: Draw a swastika outside the front door.I did not because I really did not want to start life in the new neighborhood branded a white supremacist !

"Mujhe ka prayas" .. I think not ! :-)

Manish,
Have to disagree with you on this one . It IS a wedding and before the advent of wedding planners and destination weddings, a wedding was a religious event - not just a social one. Granted that a huge religious symbol may not be tasteful or personally appealing but its apropos for this occasion.

I read through all the responses to this post and I cant even imagine how anyone could talk so low of a person that worked so hard and actually lived through tough times

Dil pe mat le ,yaar . Its all in good not-so clean fun

You have a point - if he works hard, he can play hard !

Heterosexism is gauche

What does that mean ? That equal opportuntiy offense is "in" ? :-)

Sorry for the tandem post but :'
Manish,
Thanks so much for letting us gals objectify men instead of - as is usual - the other way around :-)

n ashen face does not complement and fair & lovely chest.

Wow Dari ..I did not notice- thanks .And just as I was going to say :nice pecs :-))

This is not funny.
My son is in a photography class this year and has had various photo projects to shoot on the weekend. I make pretty damn sure that I drive him around and explain what he is doing to anyone around before he takes photographs because I am so petrified that someone will think its suspicious.

For some reason this reminds me of the hilarious scene from Sholay where Amitabhis explaining to the mausi : ( I paraphrase)
"Ladka accha hai. Kabhi kabhi peeta hai.Tabhi peeta hai jab mistress ke paas jaata hai"
( "He is a good boy/man. He drinks very rarely..in fact only when he meets his mistress" )

Manish,

This is great ...thanks. I was quite fascinated by the guards at the Vatican and its good to know that there is one brown face amongst them. Just imagine - Michaelangelo is supposed to have designed the uniforms .Viva la tradition!

Kush,
I think Garam Dharam's best role was in Chupke Chupke !, followed by Sholay

Y ki B is one of my all time favorites .Check out the near- finale where Dharmendra watches long lost kid brother sing and clutches a pillar for support - priceless. Zeenat Aman is smoldering in the unforgettable "Chura liya".

I am a sucker for lost and found - another evergreen favorite is "Waqt" - highly recco'd if you haven't seen it !

Manish,

Big reach from an eatery that was named after the owner's nickname ( however offensive it is ) and Mr. Obama's statement which as you very well know did not merely mention Pennsylvanian's love of church and guns but also called them bitter .

fair and balanced? :-)

The shlokas sure are if you don’t speak Sanskrit.

Trend spot: Every Hindu wedding I have attended in the past few years - including my own- now has the pandit explaining the shlokas in Hindi /English for the benefit of this Sanskrit- challenged generation

None of us are willing to swear undying allegiance without knowing what we are promising !

Manish,
Just admit it already - you hate us DBDs ;-)

ha ha ha
thanks ,Manish ! I am gonna book mark that to remind me how never to write :-)

Manish,

Great stuff!
I seem to remember a thread on Ultrabrown in which quite a few commenters contributed to create the first few sentences of a standard Indi- exotic novel ( spices/mehendi/arranged marriage/mangoes etc etc) - can't find it.
My point is: can you generalize this to create the standard Indian novel? :-)

the city switched the torch route at the last minute - but I saw plenty of supporters and protestors .The discourse /arguments were civil at least ...

News: ‘Hillary Clinton bit the head off a bat and kicked a baby.’ Hillary supporters: ‘This article is just a hit job. Hillary is anemic, and the baby had it coming.’

Manish,
I really don't want to dignify that with a response .I think you made my point by your faux-headline - the anti-Hillary sentiment is venomous, misogynistic and hysterical.

SF update:

This morning the plaza where the closing ceremonies are held is full of people carrying the red Chinese and red white and blue American flags. Busloads of people being brought in .The PR machine is in full force - these are the images you will see on TV

Meanwhile, a block away , a teenage Tibetan boy stands holding a Tibetan flag,.His T-shirt reads "Free Tibet" .Across teh street more Tibetan flags By chance - or more likeley design - the Tibetan protestors are a bloack away from the TV cameras,

More later.

Rahul:
Thanks for at least trying. At the present point of time, attempting to debate with Obama supporters is futile
Its simplistic logic.
Clinton= Wrong
Obama= Right

Manish,
I got the ebook reader - thanks to your recommendation

Never properly thanked you - I absolutely love it. My daily commute is a total pleasure as I have uninterrupted reading timeplus it fits neatly into my handbag .So many people have struck up conversations with me on the train - everyone wants to know what it is and how I like it.

Cherez: I was exactly of the same mind - thought that the pleasure of turning pages and holding a book could not be replaced by an LCD screen.But the sony ebook reader is great .Best of all, with its capacity of holding multiple books - I never run out of stuff to read!

Update from SFO: They are putting up barricades at the venue of the torch ceremony. I chatted briefly on a lunchtime stroll with one of the many, many security guards there .The powers that be are taking the security of this very ,very seriously .Lot of MIBs around. Can't wait to see what happens Wednesday

While I cannot condone snatching the torch from wheelchair athletes, I fully support the idea of slogan shouting, holding banners etc .What publicity for the Tibetan cause!

ok - y'all have convinced me, I will break a cardinal rule and eat pizza on my next India trip .Gotta see what the fuss is all about.

Can’t wait to see what happens in SF on Wednesday.

I hope to be there in person and watch the relay .Will update on any events that occur

Totally agree with Umber desi.

I was also referring to the friendly neighborhood small kirana dukaan. .There is no delivery time /promise attached but they never took more than 20 minutes either.
On a side note:
I NEVER order pizza when in India - why on earth would I forsake the delights of home food or my favorite restaurant foods to eat crappy Dominos?

This is what I missed the most about Bombay - I could order up a single "Bombay " sandwich / a single 'Thums Up' / a packet of aspirin /a loaf of bread /a bottle of beer / whatever and it would be at my doorstep. No taking out the car/struggling to find parking/wandering the aisles of a warehouse like supermarket in search of elusive non-sweet tomato soup ........

The entire machinery of institutionalized racism is arrayed against...

Manish,
Do you seriously include HRC in your charges of institutionalized racism?
Come on ! I wanted to let you have the last word (" morally empty " - it is your blog) - but I missed this till MD pointed it out :-)

won plaudits from Richard Mellon Scaife.

Manish,
Be fair - you know that Scaife has piled onto Hillary viciously in the past .Her act of meeting him one on one is at the very least a brave one - read what he said. When she does not try and bridge differences , she is criticized for being divisive.When she does , it s taken out of context.

khoofia,
The article is auto-translated right? I began reading it and thought for a minute that it was early onset Alzheimers- my eyes saw the letters but my brain couldn't figure out what was being said!

Jalebi ..psaw- main imarti pe marti hoon! ( Sorry- untranslatable weak pun)

She is beautiful and a world famous author - I think I hate her ;-)

is just tiring to go through traditional marriage system..
these days I feel love marriages are the best..

I hate to burst your bubble but as far as I know - background checks are de rigeur even in "love marriages" :-)

This reminded me immediately of the Darren Sherman saga

I really enjoyed your posts on Live '08 !

I’m clearly just not smart enough for this stuff.

Oh I think you are being too hard on your self . I think that not appreciating video of some guy's nether regions -- is a sign of extreme intelligence :-)

Manish,

Please accept my condolences.This is really sad news :-( .I signed up for the marrow registry last year to help Vinay and hope that the community will continue to support efforts. I pray that Sameer's family has the strength to get through this awful time

Thanks, Rahul.
I need to take this up strongly with my parents - growing up we only broke thengais never pooshnikai .My education is lacking :-)

Adams’ breathy Monroe act has always grated on me. Reviewers are constantly going on about her ‘charm that emanates like a perfume‘ and her personality ‘lighting up the screen.

Well... she really did that - lit up the screen - in "June bug" .Heartily recommended for Amy Adams' performance if you haven't seen it.
I look forward to seeing "Miss Pettigrew.."

From the article ,regarding part of a puja :

Soon Sastry, 44, was cracking a white pumpkin on the stoop

Question : I have never heard of a pumpkin being cracked on the stoop - Coconuts, yes . Can anyone tell me if this is a genuine ritual or did the WaPo reporter get it wrong?

[Ed.: flameage quoted]

Stereotype much?

Manish,

Do you support this kind of open ethnicity bashing?

The stereotyped arm gesture and tone of voice at the end.

Thanks ..my gaydar is totally on the fritz

Also interesting that he chose not to address or even mention the religious divide (and the Muslim phobia) while littering his speech liberally with Christian themes

Rahul,

See this :


http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcb_cairo/20080320/wl_mcb_cairo/aboutthatobamaspeech

In another, he plays a gay man making fun of his coworkers’ ineffectual flirting

I actually thought that commerical( guys deciding what to send the woman ) was really funny - but Manish- curious- where did you get that he is supposed to be gay ?

I haven’t seen or read any Harry Potters, I’d be interested to hear a comparision from someone who knows both genres.

Chachaji,

I grew up on Enid Blyton too .I honestly do not believe that its underhand mes sages influenced me in any way.Instead, I developed a love for reading because of much beloved EB series' like Five find outers, St.Clare's, Famous Five, Secret Seven etc . Years later I actually bought my son a whole lot of these on a trip to India. He enjoyed them but said "Mom, those kids are so rude sometimes" and we had a good long conversation about how times have changed and how EB was definitely racist /anglophilic by todays' standards and how its ok to enjoy the stories without imbibing any of the unsavory stuff in it.

I started reading Harry Potter when my son was 8 so that I could share it with him. I found some of it derivative - I am sure that JK Rowling read Enid Blyton as a kid ! One should not compare JKRs writing with EBs - JKR wrote her stuff in the 1990s - EB did so in the 1950s and obviously each author's work would reflect the mores of the times. After all Uncle Tom's cabin was pretty revolutionary for its time yet one could not possibly write a book filled with stereotypes like that now !

I wish they wouldn't mess with Enid Blyton. I know she is considered terribly non PC by todays standards but one has to place her works in the context of the time they were written in. I don't like the idea - same as I do not like Hollywood/Bollywood remakes

If Obama loses this election it will be because of racists and people who are unwilling to acknowledge that America is in some ways racist.

This is the kind of logic that makes identity politics so distressing.
If you don't vote for Obama ,you are a racist.
By the same logic : if you don't vote for Hillary ,you are sexist.If you don't vote for McCain ,you are ageist ( or more likely - just sensible :-))

Manish,

Would you call it a great speech on black-white race elations?

And desi Americans in their 30s are not reflexively anti-Muslim or anti-Hindu

Neither are desi desis ,please! They may be few and far between but believe me they exist - even amongst Punjabis and Sindhis whose families may have suffered during the Partition.

Isn't Lucier's labelling of the excesses of the Partition a jihad incorrect?

Yesterday he was not postracial

No he was not.
He also told Anderson Cooper (link)

In some ways, this controversy has actually shaken me up a little bit and gotten me back into remembering that the odds of me getting elected have always been lower than some of the other conventional candidates

I am puzzled - on the one hand we hear "post-racial" on the other - when he says this to AC - he is the one who seems to be bringing race into the equation.He can't have it both ways.

lets start a yahoo group to discuss the ills of social networking;)

I 'm in - especially if we can also crib about all my other pet peeves with this generation :-)

Rahuligans for a new Vey!

Too rabbi-d for me ! :-)

n which case you are African and Indian versions of us.

What about Indian versions of us? Talk of self referential !

Nina/Manish/Rahul/khoofia : stop ! you guys are killing me with your pun-ditry.

You don’t have to share personal photos. You put out there what you want to put out there.

Manish,
I was not being judgemental at all.More stupefied that some (young) folks really do share everything about themselves .I guess its an age/generational thing - when I was a teenager ( sometime when dinosaurs roamed the earth) personal diaries/jottings/poems/photos were zealously guarded under lock and key. I am amazed that some of these kids do not seem to worry about aforesaid photos etc reappearing at some inopportune moment in the future. (like say when they stand for President !)

I am from the same generation and that is one of the reasons I have stubbornly resisted going on any social networking sites.

Umber desi,
Thank you. I thought I was the only one who is leery of facebook, myspace and the like.Glad to see someone else feels that way. I cannot imagine putting my life out there for everyone to see- complete with photos .(Though, truth be told, it would be a very boring read !)

he chose not to address or even mention the religious divide (and the Muslim phobia)

Actually he did mention Islam,while slamminmg Wright's views :

Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees theconflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.

I wish he hadn't done that - its not very honest to say that all conflicts in the Middle East arose because of radical Islam - its expedient.

Any thoughts on Halla Bol

I saw it - nice idea, inane execution. The Director lost a good chance to make a movie that would have been a statement on the regrettable silence of the middle/upper class .Only redeeming feature is Pankaj Kapur ... as usual his mannerisms, dialogue delivery and flashing eyes makes one forget how short in stature he really is - he kinda owns the screen in each frame.Last year's
Dharm and Halla Bol reminded me once again why I am a Pankaj Kapur fan

Manish,
Thanks !
:-)

This has been an education for a first genner like me,.

So UBers- what advice should I give my son when he goes off to college a few years from now:
a) Stay far away from the ISA and any permutations thereof
b) Join the ISA but be cautious
c) Neither- I need to let him figure things out for himself

Did I forget the smiley, or did you?

I didn't see one . I think I am unduly sensitive today - especially after reading some crappy stuff about HRC and Silda Spitzer.

By way of truce : photos of the baby available here.

Umber desi ,
Thanks . I presume ISA = Indian Students association ?

Manish:
Reduced to juvenile, misogynistic ripostes ? Tch ..tch I expect better from you !

two-faced, four-eyed female in America is called, ‘Yes, Ms. ISA President.’

Huh?

Manish,
I almost fired off a slightly annoyed response pointing out the ageism and sexism in the post - till i saw the "humor " tag :-) .Good thing I had not pressed "post " :-)

Can someone explain the faux pas for the estrogen-deficient?

Since you asked nicely :-) :-
1) The pleats of the saris are not Ok - specially for Venus and Serena. Ironing the saris as someone suggested would have helped. What probably happened is : the sari was ironed but the pleats were not made along the "creases" - a recipe for disaster
2) After the pleats are tucked in at the waist - some amount of adjustment is always required. For example: pulling the outermost pleat from the bottom of the saree towards the centre , tucking in "extra " material at `the waist under the pleats .Doesn't appear to have been done.
A safety pin /saree pin applied judiciously to the pleats would have helped
3) Some more attention should have been given to the waist - in a well draped saree the border ( usually decorated) should show up at the waist ( See Serena's waist in 1st photo - border shows partially)
4) This is a personal preference ..but Venus "pallu" should have been broader

To be very fair to these ladies:
The sarees were probably purchased at short notice and so there probably would have been no time to add a "fall" ( piece of cloth lining attached to the bottom border of the saree) .A "fall" helps keep the bottom edge of the saree in shape while protecting it from tears etc. Ditto the blouses - tailored blouses are the best but please don't diss the velvet ones. They are the only ones that are available off the shelf :-)

As for make-up/jewellery - thats irrelevant as chachaji says.

What ..how could they let the obvious:
Hyderabadi Nawabs get by ?

As for Kolkatta, the Hoff lives!

Thank you,thank you Manish and Rahul

I have never enjoyed a book review as much as I did that one . :-)

I confess to reading M&Bs as a school girl. The thrill of reading them greatly magnified by the fact that they were proscribed by the nuns of my convent school. Thanks to M&Bs an entire generation of desi schoolgirls grew up looking for love in all the wrong places!;-)

Manish,

I think that you are being unfair to the voting population of Ohio and Texas .Why do you assume that a fear reflex will drive droves of people to vote for Hillary? By the same account, one could say that empty rhetoric and hopeful optimism/optimistic hope drives people to vote for Obama - a "feel good " reflex.

I think - regardless of which candidate one supports - one should at least attempt to respect the voters.

SP,
I could not agree more with you.
From the article:

Mr. Boyle belongs to the Freeconomy movement which wants to get rid of money altogether.

What amazes me is that he lasted 4 weeks with that kind of wide eyed naivete !

Mean Tharoor’s the couger. Man-cougar?

In that case , you are totally forgiven ! I was going by this

cougar hunting.

Manish,
I resent the implication - he is way older than me :-) . Its a match made in heaven , I tell ya

Totally inappropriate but : I think Shashi Tharoor is HOT
* ducks to avoid inevitable brickbats that will follow*

The graphics on the packaging are almost enough to put me off chocolate for life. I will never use the phrase "chocolate lover" again

The article says that Allen's donward spiral began when he said

what many considered to be an ethnic slur against an opponent's staffer

It WAS an ethinic slur - how dare the author imply that there is still room for doubt?
Whineging is right !

so more power to her

Glad you feel that way

she hasn’t heard of Craigslist Casual Encounters

Careful, Rahul- you maybe old and lonely some day too.

Actually, I have a lot of respect for those who are willing to give it another try .While I don't advocate serial marriage a la Pam Anderson,it requires a lot of courage to put yourself out there again. Especially if you in your forties or older - it can't be easy and Ms.Singh should be commended- not mocked.

Manish,

I am totally impressed by the jhatak move. Since you are partly from Mumbai - do you also do the "patang" - you know the one where you swivel your hips and fly an imaginary kite? :-)

Wot, like David Beckham does every night?

Heh heh heh- low blow that !

Disclaimer I should have added to my original comment : I am neither vegan,vegetarian or vegangelical

u by finding someone who is more compatible not only gastronomically but idealogically, mentally, spiritually, physically and in everyway compatible to u

Prakruti: A lot of what you say makes sense .Its true that when I was 20 if you had asked me ,I would have said that food habits was the last thing I would look for in a partner - but now I am much older , a little wiser and I would think that one should think carefully about the gastromical stuff( its more relevant than astronomical stuff like kundalis !!)

Actually, this is not as superficial as it sounds at first. Just think : Eating is one activity you are going to do at least 3 times a day for the rest of your life. So , if you are going to have a serious relationship with someone, its kinda sensible to make sure that you are gastronomically compatible :-)

Are there any good chain vegetarian restaurants in mumbai or delhi

Kamats? Woodland? DasaPrakash?

finds me the best puri (pani, dahi batata, whatevs) in the Mumbs.

Kailash Parbat in Colaba is usually a safe bet - though my favorite bhel was the 3rd stall from the left on Juhu beach ( counting from the Ramada ) The pani puri outside Elco Arcade in Bandra is great.

Ah Jabberwock,

Looks like you had a great time. I absolutely love the berry pulao at Cafe Brittania which I last had some 13 years ago :-(

Besides Mahesh Lunch Home - Trishna is ( was?) also excellent for sea food.
And if you are staying near the Gateway of India - Bade Miyan's kebab joint is sooo famous.

Did you see Gregory David Roberts at Leopold? :-)

Manish,

I could not even get through the entire article because the mere thought of little babies undergoing pain is too much to bear :-(

Kumar says older desis who vote Hillary are immature

I would say that Mr.Kumar's statement itself smacks of immaturity. Why does he automatically assume that he is more politically aware than older desis?

HRC is limited by her gender by constantly having to prove she’s not limited by her gender

Manish,

You have wounded me deeply with that statement - which is smart, unfair ,untrue and misogynistic.

What if I take it as proof of the limitations of your gender? :-)

khoofia,

Thanks for your well thought out answer- I understand where you are coming from BUT:

1st gen desis typically do not get into this line of work u

I did - ( Biz dev) as did many first gens in my earlier job for a few years here. There were many first gens at that employer in sales, biz dev and higher up the executive chain from different places in India . Not ONE of us sounded like the guy in the ad

Its not that I pretend that accents don't exist - as chachaji said above- I have one myself - but honestly that "Apu" accent was totally over the top.Its incorrect and it offended me with its gratuitous use in the salesgenie ad.I do agree that its nice to see desis shown in "non typical" roles - no issues with that. But the fact that this ad was created by an Indian is just a bit too much to bear. I guess this is impasse !

tons of money gets you that freedom. freedom is the ability to do what one wants, if it means making bad jokes on national tv, so be it.

Sorry ,khoofia, I do not buy that. With freedom comes responsibility. No amount of money gives you the freedom to perpetuate ethnic stereotyping in advertising to sell more of your product . That holds true for Gupta, Abercrombie and Fitch, a beer manufacturer - whatever

Isn't it unfair to compare McCain's use of what is inarguably a racist perjorative in 2000 - when he definitely knew that it is offensive - to whatever Hillary (or anyone else ) said in the 60s?

Pardon, your bias is showing !

The last 3 movies sucked in no uncertain terms.

Really? "Lady in the Water" I understand -its indefensible -but "The Village" and "Signs" had their moments - come on !
Yes, his movies have plotholes big enough to drive a GMC truck through - but which Holly wood movies do not? They are good entertainment - thats the aim! M.Knight Shyamalan has deservedly been compared to Spielberg - his movies are fun, fantasy and with the exception of the last clunker - make money.

what would your parents say.

Dunno about that ..but I was pretty darned amazed that my in-laws - who are much more conservative than my parents - have actually become supporters of gay rights. Possibly because they discovered that one of their nephews is gay

This is the most outrageous news I have heard in a long time.There is so much more for the Mumbai police to crack down on than consenting adults having some fun

Manish,
Thanks for writing about this. I saw the advert and was really annoyed at the stupid accent. To hear that there is a desi connection in the ownership of the company is disheartening to say the least.

Jabberwock,

Dharm was an amazing movie

Add Pankaj Kapur's performance in the highly flawed Halla Bol to the list of amazing performances from this actor. Maqbool is another film where he did great work.Kapur is one of the few actors who can take command of the screen despite being physically small.

Brilliant stuff.
Manish,
Thanks for this and all the other cool stuff you find for us :-)

The morning I rolled out of my hammock beneath the peepul tree, I heard the singing of koyals. I adjusted my kohl-rimmed eyes and bowed to my mother-in-law because of the ancient laws of Manu.

Ha ha ha ,Manish, that was priceless.

Only missing : Last night I dreamt of my arranged marriage and awoke to the smell of mangoes and spices.

From the article, per the school:

an ideal wife must have five "ornaments" - coyness in her eyes, a smile on her face, sweetness in her speech, love in her heart and a hand that can work very hard

O for 5 -I woulda flunked out of this school for sure :-)

*hits head against wall*

Manish,
Unbelievable - I grew up near Chimbai and practically in Ranwar -which is mentioned in the link Brown sent
Brown,
Thanks for the link.I used to pass by the home in the last photograph on my way to school every day and even knew someone who lived in it .

Bangin’ Bertha

Is that what the kids call Baingan Bharta these days?

I swear I had to read that comment four times before I could make any sense of it

Forward thinking parents are an asset, not something to deride

golfastrian,

When we named our son back in the des , it was a carefully thought out exercise. We agonized over every choice and finally settled on one that sounded good to us and most importantly - was acceptable and liked by both the 'southie' and 'northie' senior wings of the family. Fast forward a few years and my son regularly berates me for not naming him 'Jason' or 'Andrew' or whatever flavor-of -the-month has caught his fancy .Alas- when he was born we had no idea that we would be living in the US of A :-)

I make sure that he knows how to pronounce his name correctly - but we have agreed on a mangled pronounciation for his school mates etc which proximates the original :-)

Reports of flight attendants threatening unruly passengers that they’ll be met by the FBI are, sadly, fairly common these days

Note to self: Don't ask for that extra bag of peanuts on next flight.Or ever

Why? It could just have been a combination of antagonistic passengers and obnoxious/overreacting flight attendants, right?

It could.

However, I quote from the link:

According to the suit, the head attendant referred to the Patels and their group as "these people"

Also :

The suit also alleges the head attendant threatened to have the plane diverted to Tokyo, where Patel would be removed from the aircraft, arrested and have his passport taken. She also threatened Patel with arrest in Chicago and investigation by the FBI.

Do you honestly beleive that the attendant would have threatened a non-brown passenger with the FBI and passport appropriation?

I try very hard not to be one of those nutcases who sees racism everywhere :-) - in this case I am inclined to believe it was present.

Manish,
If I may use this as an opportunity to ask folks to join me in boycotting United Airlines until they investigate this issue and take action against the flight attendant. Prima facie, it appears to be motivated by racism.

I wonder if there is some way of letting UA know that they cannot expect any business from us unless they take action.

the Gandhi- Nehru family dynasty is very disturbing and detrimental to Indian democracy.

Bobby,
Agree .I don't understand whether it is greed that drives them or hubris or a misplaced sense of noblesse oblige

Veena ....grew up in a village so primitive that she never used a spoon, fork, or napkin until she went away to boarding school at age 10

This is a direct quote from said article. I think Steve Hamm - the writer - needs to do much better research before expounding on India.
The fact that the lady did not use a spoon, fork or napkin has nothing to do with how primitive the village was. Many of us who grew up in cities like Mumbai etc also did not use spoons/forks /napkins often or at all ( try eating rajma chawal /rasam -saadam/thayyir saadam) with cutlery and wihout and tell me what works better!) . This is the kind of journalism that makes my blood boil

Absolutely.

How come the "family name" issue did not make such an impact when our current ,beloved President stood for election twice?

What is hilarious is that Hillary was a Rodham all her professional life ,till Bill stood for President and she had to change her name to "Rodham Clinton" and then just "Clinton" :-)

America will have been ruled by just two families for at least a quarter of a century?

If Rahul Gandhi becomes PM, India would have been ruled by ONE family for more than half a century :-) . Given that context, nope, does not bother me :-) ( kidding)

Tenu sharam ni aundi?

Regardless. People will behave stupidly 'cause they are people. Animals will atatck cause they are animals.
The Zoo is still responsible for ensuring that an incident like this just cannot happen by making sure that the tiger cannot get out period. The police are still responsible for taking every 911 call seriously and responding.

Abhi keechad uchalne se kuch nahin hoga!

I wanted to share the fact that this movie - with all its faults - impacted both my partner and me. One of those rare Hindi movies that we watched together and which resonated with both of us. l think any parent who has had a child go through the Indian school system will get it. Amir nails the repressive nature of the system perfectly - children getting punished by being rapped on the knuckles, humiliated in front of peers, sadistic school teachers etc . Not to mention the inevitable and odious comparisons made between siblings/neighbors kids etc . If this movie makes even a few parents stop and think about driving their kids crazy with inflated expectations - it would have suceeded. I have seen kids suffer in India and branded stupid because no one understands that they just learn differently.

I wish Amir had cut the songs and toned down some of the off the wall portrayals such as the Hindi and English teachers.

Ha! That was a perfect recreation

One addition:
- As you are attempting to make an escape, someone swoops down on you and says "Leaving? Did you taste the masala puri/malpua/jalebi /{insert dish of choice here}) No? You MUST taste it !" and then drags you back to the loaded buffet tables :-)

Thanks ,Manish.I'm leaning toward the Sony now

I thought briefly about blogging about this but its too heartbreaking.

While I can never condone violence like this: here's a thought. In this case and in others here in the USA - the shooters were usually picked on/bullied by the other kids. So while we all work to make sure that stuff like this never happens again , please ,please lets teach our kids that its not okay to pick on others and more importantly, keep the lines of communication open so that we know what is happening in their lives.

Manish,

Whenever you can , could you answer this question:
Kindle or Sony?

I just got promised a e-book reader for my birthday and need to decide :-)

Headmistress:

I was in the same frame of mind as you - after all what is better than turnign the page on a good book? Curling up on your favorite chair on a rainy day with a crinkly paperback in hand? But ,after spekaing to a few people, an ebook is convenient for travel .And if you are fast reader -like I am - you will never run out of stuff to read on a journey!

Jabberwock,

Do you remember the famous "Purab aur Paschim" song with Saira Banu in what can be charitably described as 'whiteface' representing the evil, debauched west with Mr.Bharat himself representing the enlightened ,upright ( stick in the mud ) east? His discomfort emoted via a pained expression throughout the song is priceless?

Did someone get Rama confused with this?

For some reason, this story struck me as funny instead of sad!
Love of money is the root of all evil :-)
Naughty,naughty desi indeed !

Wavy black shoulder length hair? Check!
Dusky ,smouldering looks? Check!
Taller than Rushdie ? Check !
Cleavage baring attire? Check!

Rushdie definitely has a type he goes for evidently ...

I watched part of the debate. Overall, regardless of who wins , I felt reasonably confident about all the candidates - the tone is so much more nuanced and balanced - unlike the chest thumping theatrics of Dubya ,Voldemort and co.

I was thrilled to hear John Edwards unequivocal "Racial profiling has to be stopped"

Manish,
Ethnocentric - Thats so true ! Thats why the Maxim 100,E!'s regular top 50 lists etc make me laugh because they are more about the top whatever in the fifty mile zone around LA - definitely not the whole world.Beauty standards vary quite a bit from culture to culture so titles like TMBITW make no sense at all!

Trivia: There is another ABBA rip off of "Voulez -vous" which goes"Voulez vous Jawaani Yaad Aa Gayi,Diwani Yaad AA gayi.." (which,if I remember correctly, featured Jeetendra dancing witha cane and of course white shoes!!!) Was that Bappi -da too?( Yes, I once knew all the lyrics to all ABBA songs!)

Well, look at any reporting done on India by the Western media and you will see the same - one might say unnecessary -emphasis on the picturesque and the exotic. A case in point is the recent news of the 8 limbed child who was operated on in Bangalore.Every single report in the US media mentioned something to the tune of "Children born with deformities in rural India, such as the remote village in the northern state of Bihar where Lakshmi is from, often are viewed as reincarnated gods." ( I am quoting this from a follow-up report today on NBC but much the same is part of any news on this ).Why blame Indian novelists if they give the Western audience exactly what they want? No one is interested in reading about the human condition in contemporary India - they want mangoes, chillies, the caste system, arranged marriages ,Bollywood and reincarnation.

Wishing all at Ultrabrown and all its readers a sparkling Diwali .
Party on!

Manish,
Dumb question : but the first book cover in this article is photoshopped right?
I mean its too much to expect that the juxtaposition of "tart" and Padma Lakshmi was serendipity

Meeeow!

AARGH..

Just last month , my grocery shopping included : falafel, hummus and pita chips ( family size )
My favorite lunch - maybe 2-3 times a month- is falafel from this great mediterranean cafe
I am addicted to Turkish coffee at my neighborhood shawarma joint
And I used my credit card at all of these places
I'm screwed :-(

If I should suddenly stop commenting tell them I was brave till the bitter end !

For those who are interested,CNN has photos of preop here

So happy to hear that the operation seems to be successful !

I clicked the link to the article and was glad to read that Lakshmi has a near perfect set of "normal " organs that will continue to function even after the operation. Its good to know that the operation is happening in India and I hope it all goes well for the little girl.Reminds me of the verse from "Ommar Khayyam"

"...."They sneer at me for leaning all awry;
What! did the Hand then of the Potter shake?"

JW,
I have no plans to watch NS but I wanted to say that I really liked "the Cell". ( This - despite the fact that I am (in) famous in the family for my inability to watch any horror film alone and also for shutting my eyes when the violence gets too graphic!) . *Mini - spoiler* alert I particularly remember the scene where J-Lo encounters the child that the serial killer once was deep within his mind which brought a nice touch of moral amibuity.Plus I thought the film was visually stunning

oops sorry :-( i meant "Cliff" not "chachaji"

Why don’t you keep that accordian file with GC, SSN passport etc in a fire/flood proof safety box in a bank?

chachaji,
We thought about that - but the better half travels all the time to Canada on work - sometimes unplanned hence needs handy access to the PP+ GC!
Maybe its psychological too - wanting to have proof of one's existence handy in case the authorities want to see 'em - paranoid I know !

Hey ,
I think our brown brother showed terrific presence of mind by grabbing his passport and H1 Visa.He undoubtedly saved himself a lot of grief from relleif authorities not to mention DHS etc etc

My husband and I have a deal : if our house is on fire, he grabs my son and I grab the accordion folder containing our Green cards, SSNs and insurance papers and then we escape !

Runa, are you accusing us of having taste?

Mea culpa ! :-)

Funny maybe but slightly poor taste ,don't you think?
Anyways here is an explanation on how to handle a situation like this one

Is it some rule of the movie-making universe that most movies involving salsa have to totally suck?

Manish,
Vaat? You don't like "Shall we dance" ? or "Along came Polly ", or "Kal ho na ho" ;-)- though to be fair salsa had a brief but pivotal cameo only in these

Its crazy how symbols have the power to stir emotions. Here is a semi -funny story: When we bought a home here in the USA , we wanted to perform a "grihapravesh" puja before moving in .Not wanting to make a big deal of it ( and being fairly broke after the down payment!) we decided to do it ourselves. The inlaws in India consulted with a priest and emailed us detailed directions. First line :"Draw a swastika outside the home with kumkum(vermilion)" ! Of course, no way was I going to start life in my neighborhood by causing raised eyebrows. So we ommitted step 1 and did the rest of the puja.

I think its quite sad that the swastika is now regarded as a horrible symbol. But one has to be sensitive to the milieu that one is in.As long as no one is trying to ban the swastika in India and its being used appropriately, I think its okay for us to be flexible here.

He he he..exaggerated but fun !

The Urban legends we had about our teachers were:
"Open the doors of the windows and let the climate of the atmosphere come in " and
"Be quiet - the prinicpal is rotating the corridors" or
" Don't understand the tree - go and sit in the class"
"Both of you sit alone together and rad aloud silently"

Manish,
The lota incident is supposed to be from a letter from an irate traveler in British times - probably apocryphal

For kids/teens:
Malgudi days - short stories - by RK Narayanan
Feluda stories ( translated into English) by Satyajit Ray ( yes, the film director) : desi detective fiction !

Ramayana - I prefer C Rajagopalachari's editions of both the Ramayan and the Mahabharata

Question: Am I the only one who seems to think that Aishwarya has overdone the tanning for this film? or used too much bronzer? Or are the still photos I have seen ( on this and other sites) misleading?

If true then I suspect a mega racial conspiracy :what - she was too "fair" to portray an Indian ? If not, then my eyes need checking!

I do not think that only desi owners of 7-11s are being asked to participate

That said - this is one of the most tasteless promotions anyone could have conceived.

And the news article including the quote from the desi shopkeeper Kumar Assandas in the article above , trotted out as the "token Indian " to give some legitimacy to the charade is beyond tasteless!

Manish,

That was hilarious and took me back to school days when we faithfully cut out pictures like this and pasted them into our "Moral Science" notebooks !

Oh tempora, oh mores!